Four experts on the political impact of income inequality will gather at UT on October 18 to discuss the topic.

“The Political Origins and Consequences of Inequality: A Roundtable” will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Toyota Auditorium at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. The event is free and open to the public.

The discussion will address whether or not income inequality is growing in the United States and elsewhere and why it happens. Also, it will look at the relationship between government policies and economic inequality—do policies cause income disparity? Does economic disparity influence policy?

Jana Morgan, associate professor of political science, will moderate the discussion.

“Given the increasing attention being paid to inequality within the political and social dialogue in the US, we believe the roundtable discussion is timely and important,” she said.

Four professors from different universities will participate in the discussion:

Nathan Kelly is an associate professor of political science at UT. He studies political and economic change over time and the influence of income inequality.

Nita Rudra is an associate professor of international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She studies the impacts of globalization, welfare regimes, and democracy in developing nations.

Fred Solt is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Iowa. He studies comparative politics and the influence of economic inequality on political attitudes and behavior.

Joe Soss is a professor of public affairs, political science and sociology at the University of Minnesota. He studies the relationship among democratic politics, socio-economic inequality and public policy.

The Department of Political Science is sponsoring the event. It is also supported by the Haines Morris fund, Department of Sociology, the Global Studies program, and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies program.

For more information, visit the Department of Political Science’s website.